Fitness and Mental Health During COVID-19
The Coronavirus Pandemic has put a dent in many of our lives, which has resulted in stay-at-home orders, less social connection, and less physical activity. This can have a heavy impact on one’s mental health.
If you’ve been experiencing lethargy, loneliness, lack of motivation and lust for life, or just general discontent due to the COVID-19 situation, read on for some helpful advice!
Listen, anxiety and depression are real, especially in the current global environment that we are living in; however, it doesn’t mean that we’re at a total loss. There are things that we can do in our daily lives today, small things that can have a huge carry-over affect for our overall mental health.
While the gyms are closed, social settings are banned, and minimal options are currently available to us to thrive, it’s important to still find ways to take care of our mental and physical health.
That’s where fitness comes in to play!
According to WHO, the World Health Organization, “regular physical activity benefits both the body and mind…reducing the risk of depression, cognitive decline…and improve overall feelings.”
While I am sure you’ve already known this to be true, it’s certainly easier said than done. Many of us are sitting down and lying down more than ever, developing poor eating habits out of boredom, unable to gain the motivation to begin.
Start small!
By simply getting up off the couch and going for a 5-minute walk, you can kick start the momentum of movement and begin getting those endorphins flowing to boost your mood.
Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated, it just needs to be convenient and fun so that you continue to stay committed! If you can start small and gradually build up to the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, you’ll be well on your way to improving to mental and physical health. Before you know it, you’ll be exercising 300 minutes a week because you won’t be able to get enough of those endorphins!
By the way, if you don’t know what endorphins are, they’re chemicals produced by the body to relieve stress. Endorphins interact with the brain to signal mood changes, pain reduction, and more! Endorphins are a chemical that you want more of, and by exercising, you can accomplish just that!
The correlation between mental health and physical activity couldn’t be more relevant during these current times. In the face of social isolation and economic shutdown, the prevalence of anxiety and depression is at an all-time high. However, it doesn’t need to be that way.
While it’s easier to resort to your couch and eat potato chips, it’s the exact opposite of what we should be doing.
Small lifestyle changes can result in huge health and wellness benefits. It’s important now more than ever to find ways to integrate exercise and activity into our daily lives. Take care of yourself and get out there and sweat! Your brain will thank you later.